The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-10-07
SALlsDunY's BAsrILE.

IL ID i D..
| SALlsDulsY's BAsrILE,
How tho boys In Bluo were Starved and
| frozon ut tho Hate OF 100 per Day.
| To The Editor Of I've hlielltgc,etr. ~
Sir: At the earnest solicitation OF many
iriends, will give q more minute descrip.
ton Of Salisbury, N. G., prison. 1t was
located near the town Of Salisbury, on a
flat piece OF ground, and contained, !
should think, between ton and fifteen
acres. 1t was enclosed by a rough plank
fence about twelve feet high, on the TOP
OF which sen!inels kept watch by day and
night. In 1t WAS n four.story old brick
factory, one twc.ssory and three one.
story tenement housea, also rough franc
building called 1.-THE Hospital" and a
lew teuta, all Of which, as well as tho en-.
tire enclosure, were literally packed with
poor, halfatarved mortals. There wero
over fourteen thousand, two.thirds OF
whom had to sit In the mud both day and
night, without anything to cover US,
not even an overcoat. Our death roll
averaged 100 nightly. They mostly died
at night, aud their last pititul cry was in.
variably, 20, please, please, please give me
piece OF bread, won't you? 0, plesso
d., Every morning o four horse team
came in and picked up these dead brave
and noble youtha. Their rags were taken
oil them. A Mr.. Richardson, one Of tho
New York TriJunes correspondents, was
made quartermaster Of tho gooda, and he
| would distribute them among US half.
starved and dying csestures. He gave ma
psir. OF old shoes and cap; before which
l had neither. 85 '95Ii
All the boys who were go fortunate rs
to possesa either knife, plate or tin cup,
ana had the necessary strength So we'll,
dug holes IN the ground, and then bur.
roWed under, whers they would lay them.
selves down to rect, which did proya To
many to be their last reat. II was in one
! Of these tombs that Mr. Richsrdson aug.
gested the plan Of tunneling out, which
he and otheys eventually did. But that
WAS the las! Of the sunne!ing business, as
We were closely watched thereafter. a
One very dark night we boys held a
caucus, and came 10 the conclusion that
to remain In there would be certain death.
SO on o certain night we would all make
a rush at the biz gate, at relief guard. and
Then escape. But come OF our oyer.anx.
ions boys, on the day fixed, could not wait
until night, but began the attack at noon;
the guard WAC too much for them and ali
! OF ue, and we were driven back with ease,
a committee Of three was appointed 10
wait on the officer Of the day, and request
him 10 let few OF US who were cblo
20 to the woods, under guard, to get leaves
and brush to raise orr aick and diving
comrades of Of the cold muddy ground:
also to get clean water for them TO drink.
1t was at first denied, but after q while
was allowed. I Was on that committee. M
Some time in. December '64 desd
house VAS established; 1t WIS iitsla tsnt
in which an officer Kept book and every
morning would come and make inquiry "a
to the members thnt hsd died the past
! night; before that there was no knowing
how many died. M 3+} g5.5E i i
We found many Of tho gusrd to be very
kind men; | at ono time asked one Of them
how much he would charge to bring me
in an old piece Of carpet to cover my poor
cold shoulders with. he said, looking at
me, "Poor follow; God pity you; I dare
not do such thing" u
| The Last Sabbath We spentir that horrid
! pen, minister Of the Gospel came In and
preached to us. At the close Of his story
ne said, II have good news to tell you;
you are all to be paroled tomorrow or
next day. Come, nov, let's all sing,
Praise od.from whom all blessinge ilow.'"
We tried, but our voices failed 10, and we
all began to cry with joy at the thought OF
going homo. ,5 45 A b. rs
When orr battalion arrived OF tho
priEon III November, 1864, we were pu!
into squads OF fifty each. Nov, each squad
Tas given piece OF wood daily about four
teet long and eight inches III diameter.
Alter getting it our great trouble was to
cut 1t up, as We possessed neither Ratchet,
knife, or any such thing. The best We
could do wae to set to work and with our
finger malta chip of little pieces Of bark,
and thus start q email sized FIRE, or rather
smoke, as it waH v Of pins wood and would
not burn very readily. We all came to
the conclusion that the best plan would DO
sosaye tho whole weeks wood, and then
on Sunday have FIRE thet all could feel a
little. We called this our olasa.meeting,
and sometimes we would all try to sing, OF
rather hum, in an npdertono come good
old hymn. The iavorine was "Jesus lover
Of my SOUL" Many would be in tears be-.
lore getting through the hymn.
One dark, cold, rainy, free ing night in
January, 1865, Qt rained nearly every
night) as our squad sat huadled together
in the mud, which was out usual custom,
waiting and longing for the break Of day,
Che agony Of thoss lo1g-drswn out nighta
still haunt me in my dreams), a young
frenchman by the name Of YaBsoau, be.
gan crying moot piteously, 70, my poor
feet; they arc frozen" Immediately
rubbed them Tor hin, also tore of a piece
OF my old ragged blorae and wrapped up
his iees, for he was bsre.footed. But all I
could do gave him no eass. His feet
mortified, and in q day or 50, aiter suffer-
ing excruclatipg pain, he died. When
dying no looked at me very hard and said,
20, mother; my poor, poor ieat.' NJ,
4 A very great disappointment awaited us
on Christmas day, 'G4. We had been told
that our rations would be doubled on that
day, which to us would have heen great
treat; but they gave US none, and a more
detected and dowucast set Of half starved
mortals meyer hailed our national holiday.
On tho next day some officers came in and
offered, as an inducement to opr boys to
enlist into their army, new suit Of clean
clothes and fifty dollars in their money.
| Our squad said, "they would die tjrot,''
but some poor fellows did 20 out. They
were 80 hungry they could not resist the
offer. ~. III Il IA d 5g65
On New Years day, 1895, a little before
dark, a very small dog happened to be-
passing our gquad, and in less time than
1t takes to pen thia, our boys were making
9 very delicious-raw OF couree-New
Years supper of Of that dog, Right here,
let me state, that ont Of our original
nquad Of fifty, only eleven came out 70 bo
paroled and march = hobblo- rejoicing
homeward. After we reached our lines
many died from eating too freely. IRE
i n Doyou marvel, After heasing some OF the
boys IN blue relate their Experience ii
these prisons, at their ,objacting to the IN.
called for S"Rebel flag order ~ J5,;1sI1i
i54 NV. i,7iIt ALFRED TURNER, Pr }3ii.